Spontaneous CombustionREWRITTEN under same title
by Meiveva Sirenice
Summary: In the middle of an investigation, Vance springs a new agent on Team Gibbs. The probie will be put to the test to see if she can make it at NCIS. This particular addition has an interesting past with McGee.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, I decided to add an OC to NCIS. Please don't hate me (in fact, liking this would be preferable). You should know this character is in no way based on Ginny Weasley or Ziva or Jenny. Yes, she has red hair. Yes, she…well, you'll see the other similarities later. There aren't many. I swear I came up with this character long before reading Harry Potter or watching NCIS. I thought she would work well with NCIS. **

**Please review and say if you are totally opposed to my new character or not.**

**Disclaimer 1: I do not own NCIS (however, Christmas is approaching and I am not on Santa's Naughty List…)**

**Disclaimer 2: My OC is not a love interest for anyone.**

"What, Leon?" Gibbs slammed into the director's office. He was in the middle of an investigation, and not enjoying the interruption.

"Gibbs, have a seat." Leon motioned in front of his desk.

"I'll pass." Gibbs spat. Sighing, Leon pulled out a file and held it out to Gibbs. Snatching it up, Gibbs flipped through it and a curious expression appeared on his face.

"Why have you handed me a personnel file?"

"I'm adding an agent to your team. You will interview her and she will assist your investigation." A look of shock with a touch of fury spread over Gibbs' face.

"I cannot take on a new agent in the middle of an investigation."

"Your investigation has gone on long enough. A fresh perspective may help. This will be a test—if you don't like her at the end, your team will stay exactly the same." Gibbs sighed resignedly and started to leave the office. Suddenly he turned back.

"When am I gonna interview her?"

"15 minutes." With that, Gibbs left.

"Here comes Gibbs." Ziva warned her partner. Tony quickly turned back to his computer screen, ending the plague of paper balls raining down on McGee.

"What d'ya got?" Gibbs asked. It was almost a rhetorical question—they were getting nowhere with this case.

"Nothing on the BOLO."

"No credit card activity."

"We've got nothing."

"Really, DiNozzo?" Gibbs retorted. "We've got a new field agent. I'm interviewing her right now." The team exchanged looks of shock.

"It's a girl." Tony let a sly grin slide onto his face.

"Rule 12" Gibbs called over his shoulder.

The clock had just marked the end of 15 minutes when she walked in. Cerulean eyes looked out from under thick lashes. A silk lavender shirt flowed over her and was paired with black pants and short black heels. In one hand she held coffee, the other she extended to shake his hand. Her hair, red as the fieriest sunset, was pulled into a ponytail.

"Ginny Cummins." They shook hands.

"Agent Gibbs." They sat down and began the interview.

30 minutes later, Gibbs led Ginny down to the bullpen. Despite his initial aversion to bringing on a new agent, Gibbs thought she had the potential to make it. Her background consisted of some special investigations and spook projects and she had a fierce personality to top it off. Gibbs smirked as his team turned to stare.

"I was hoping she'd be wearing one of those little suit-skirts." Tony whispered.

"How would I run in that?" Ginny rounded the corner of the bullpen. Tony cocked an eyebrow.

"How did you hear that?" She smirked.

"I was trained to." Tony stood to shake hands.

"Ginny Cummins."

"Tony DiNozzo, senior field agent."

"Ziva David, probie." Ziva crossed over to them.

"That's a good probette." Tony praised her. They noticed McGee had not budged. He rose stiffly, a fake smile plastered across his face, and walked towards them.

"Timothy McGee or just McGee. I'll take you down to the lab." Ginny followed him into the elevator. Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva watched as the door slid shut.

"Something's wrong." Tony piped up.

"Thank you for stating the obvious." Sarcasm soaked every one of Gibbs' words.

**What do you guys think is wrong with McGee? Submit your theories and review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: and now, the moment you've all been awaiting…what is wrong with McGee?**

**Disclaimer 1: I do not own NCIS (however Christmas is approaching and I am not on Santa's Naughty List…)**

McGee stared intently at the doors as they descended. Suddenly he flipped the emergency stop switch. A stony silence lay thick between the two as they faced each other, the smile gone from both their faces.

"It all makes sense now." McGee spoke abruptly.

"What makes sense?"

"Don't play dumb!" he spat. Ginny looked unphased.

"What are you talking about?" she asked calmly.

"When we dated! I've suspected it for years but you confirmed it!"

"How did I confirm it and what did you suspect?" Sadness and regret tainted her expression.

"Tony asked you how you heard and you replied it was your training. You're a spy!" McGee's voice escalated as he spoke. His hands were balled into fists and his jaw set.

"Yes, I was." Her voice was quiet and almost apologetic.

"It all makes sense! I was working at a company with advanced technology and two weeks after you left some of it disappeared. You used me." McGee's voice diminished with the last sentence. Ginny didn't reply—remorse was etched in every line of her face. "So it was all a lie." He flipped off the emergency stop switch.

"No." It was an almost inaudible whisper.

"What?" He turned to face her again.

"It wasn't a lie. I was taken off the mission two weeks early because I got too emotionally attached. It was too dangerous, so they withdrew me." She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "It was real." McGee was stunned. He had not expected any of this. A small smile crept onto his face as it sunk in that their relationship had been the truth. Ginny smiled too. The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into Abby's lab.

"Abby!" McGee called.

"McGee!" Abby came racing around the corner, halting abruptly when she saw Ginny. "Who's this?"

"Ginny Cummins, I'm a new agent." Abby's attire didn't seem to affect Ginny in the least.

"Are you on Gibbs's team?" Ginny nodded.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to my lab!" Abby grasped Ginny's wrist and proceeded to tug her around on a tour of her beloved lab.

Next Ginny visited autopsy where she was introduced to the aloof Jimmy and gentlemanly Ducky. Finally, McGee and her resurfaced and strode into the bullpen. Tony shot a confused look at Ziva.

"The problem seems to have disappeared." Ziva remarked when he came over to sit on her desk. He opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Gibbs's entrance into the bullpen.

"DiNozzo, don't you have some work to do?" Tony jumped over to his desk.

"On it, Boss." Gibbs turned to Ginny.

"Director Vance thinks you could offer a fresh perspective. We'll take you out to the crime scene. Ziva, McGee, you're with us."

"On your six, Boss." McGee and Ziva dashed to the elevator on their way to revisit the crime scene.

**Was it what you were expecting? Do you think Ginny will make a good agent? Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I love everyone who read my story so much, thank you! Special thanks to TheaterFreak123, MouzyMou, Hermione's Shadow, and ****LiVeLaUgHlOvE24**** for reviewing! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS (however Christmas is approaching and I am not on Santa's Naughty List…)**

As they stepped out of the car, McGee noticed Ginny looked significantly paler. It was really no wonder, Gibbs had been driving after all.

"Feeling sick?" he asked.

"Just a little." She mumbled sarcastically. He chuckled, remembering the first time he had driven with Gibbs.

"Were you not trained to drive fast?" Ziva inquired—it was suddenly common knowledge that Ginny had been an undercover operative.

"Fast, yes. Erratic, no." Ginny replied. Gibbs smirked at this comment as he led them up the stairs.

"Petty Officer Robert Cardell's apartment." He swung the door open to reveal a tiny apartment burnt to a crisp. To their right was a small kitchen and a few yards up the hallway on their left was a living room. In the back was a bedroom and bathroom. Everything was blackened by an apparent explosion. "A gas leak resulted in an explosion."

"If the ashtray and cigarette butts are any indication, Petty Officer Cardell liked to smoke." McGee threw in. Gibbs led them to a scorched chair in the living room.

"The body was found here."

"The gas line was cut. It was someone who knew the petty officer well enough to know he would smoke." Ziva informed her.

"He was an only child, his parents are on a cruise for their 30th anniversary, and no girlfriend. He had one buddy, petty officer Charles Linkon, but he's been missing for 3 weeks. According to some of the other petty officers, the two kept to themselves." McGee filled in the rest.

"Sounds like a dead end." Ginny commented.

"That's why Vance put you on our team. Fresh perspective." Gibbs reminded her.

"Did he have any relationships that ended badly?" She asked.

"He hasn't had a girlfriend since freshman year of high school." McGee answered. Ginny furrowed her brow, puzzled.

"What evidence did you find?"

"Nothing but the cigarette butts." She began to walk slowly around the room, staring at the seared walls. She stopped in front of a seam in the wallpaper, leaning forward to inspect it closer.

"What is it?" Gibbs asked.

"Blood." Before anyone could see, Ginny tore the wallpaper from the plaster beneath it, unveiling red splatters across both surfaces. "Charles Linkon may not be missing afterall."

**And now…review! Reasons to Review:**

**I can't tell if you've read the story otherwise. If no one's reading the story then there's no point in writing the story so I need you guys to review, even if it just says something like 'hi'.**

**It makes me incredibly happy. This way, you can go home and tell your mother you took time out of your day to make someone feel good and she should give you some form of chocolate as positive reinforcement.**

**No story is perfect. So please take a bit of time to tell me what you like and what you didn't so I can improve my story and make it better for you. I know that sometimes you can't think of what to say (it happens to me anyway) so it can be something like 'update', plain and simple.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I love everyone who read my story so much, thank you! Special thanks to all my reviewers and subscribers! Extraordinary thanks to **** for adding my story to favorites! **

**Okay, I've given y'all a couple of short chapters, so here's a longer one to make up for it.**

**I'm really sorry I haven't been able to update for a while. Exams are **_**murder**_**. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS (however Christmas is approaching and I am not on Santa's Naughty List…)**

The team ripped the wallpaper down, aiding the apartment in shedding its charred snakeskin. The blood smatterings were across that single wall. McGee pulled out a camera and began snapping pictures of the wall.

"Gibbs, how are we to bag and tag this?" Ziva questioned. There was a slight pause as he contemplated a solution.

"Find some trash bags. We'll use those." Ziva left the apartment to look. An awkward silence hung between Ginny and McGee which was magnified by the presence of Gibbs. Ghosts of words lingered in the air, taunting them. Gibbs made it impossible to speak so they avoided each other's eyes, afraid of what they might reveal.

When Ziva returned, they quickly took the trash bags and began stuffing wallpaper in them. As soon as they finished, they headed back to NCIS.

"Abby?" Ginny called above the music. Gibbs had asked her to take the new evidence down. "Abby!" Abby spun around and turned down the music simultaneously. "We have some new evidence: blood and wallpaper." She held the bag up.

"Ooo, hinky!" Abby ripped the bag open on the evidence table and began to pull the wallpaper out.

"Hinky?"

"You know, weird, strange, out-of-the-ordinary. Bye now." Ginny left Abby to her work.

When she entered the bullpen, Ginny found that activity was at a standstill. Tony had his legs propped up on the desk while shooting paper balls at McGee and Ziva. McGee was playing a game on his computer and Ziva was shooting Tony a death glare. Ginny thought to sit down before realizing she didn't have a desk yet.

"Does anyone know where my desk is?"

"Over there." Gibbs came strolling in and pointed to a cubicle in the back. Ginny began to walk over there before Gibbs called her back. "You can sit in McGee's desk while he goes to help Abby." McGee jumped up and sped to the elevator. Gibbs made his exit then. Sinking into the chair, there were only a few minutes before DiNozzo ceased his hail of paper.

"Camp fire." Ziva and he rolled their chairs into the middle of the bullpen and Ginny followed suite. "So, we know that Petty Officer Cardell exploded. We know his buddy Charles Linkon has been missing for 3 weeks. And we know there was blood all over his apartment wall. The question is, why?" There was a pause as the three considered this for a moment. There didn't seem to be any reason someone would want to kill Petty Officers Cardell and Linkon.

"Perhaps someone held a grudge against the two?" Ginny offered a fairly useless suggestion.

"Perhaps, but why? There is nothing to suggest that the two were cruel to anyone. There is not even a reason for someone to be jealous of them—they were definitely unexceptional." Ziva mused.

"Maybe someone wanted to be friends with them?" Ginny wondered aloud.

"That's girls Ginny. Come on guys, think!" Tony urged. Suddenly, he sat upright. "What if they were planning something—like a heist. Someone may have wanted in on it and killed them both! Ziva, look at their backgrounds, Ginny, get their bank records." The three quickly rolled back to their desks and began typing furiously at the computer.

In the meantime, McGee had made his way to Abby's lab. She was looking through his crime scene photos, staring intently at the screen.

"Hey Abby." She jumped, startled that he was right behind her.

"McGee! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She turned around, leaning against her desk. "So what's with you and Ginny?"

"What do you mean?" He pretended not to know what she was talking about.

"Don't play with me. You were acting very hinky when she came down here. What is it?" McGee sighed, and told her everything. A look of fury slowly emerged on Abby's face.

"And she works here now? With you?" She almost shouted. "I'm going to give her a piece of my mind!" Abby made a move toward the elevator but McGee intercepted her.

"Abby, please don't yell at her. She said she was sorry—."

"Sorry doesn't cut it, McGee!" Abby interrupted. McGee sighed again.

"And I'm going to talk to her about it later, after the case." He finished. Abby crossed her arms, her expression a defiant pout.

"Fine. But if you haven't talked to her by the time the case is closed, I get to."

"Alright. Anyway, Gibbs sent me down here to help with the case so we should probably get back to that."

A few hours later the team was congregated in the bullpen.

"What d'ya got?" Gibbs was holding a fresh cup of coffee, as was everyone else, courtesy of Ginny's coffee run.

"We think Linkon and Cardell may have been planning a heist." Tony kicked it off.

"They both have a history of petty theft. Petty officer Linkon also once stole a car and gave it to his girlfriend as a gift." Ziva reported her findings.

"They were both in financial trouble. The two petty officers seemed to have pooled their savings—Linkon was obviously unaware Cardell had a gambling problem. He blew about 20% of their money. When it came time to pay the bills they wouldn't have enough." Ginny stated. McGee stood up.

"Abby found that the blood on the wall was from Petty officer Linkon. We're assuming he was killed 3 weeks ago, when he first went missing. Unfortunately, without the body we can't be sure of a murder weapon or cause of death but Ducky and Abby think it was a knife to the carotid artery. The pressure from the artery would account for the range of the blood spatters."

"We think someone may have been trying to get in on their raid. When the two turned the person down…"

"He murdered the petty officers." Ziva finished for Tony.

"Good. Go search Linkon's apartment for any evidence of who they were going to hit, when, and who might have wanted in." Gibbs motioned at Tony and Ziva.

"On it, Boss." Tony replied as the pair grabbed their gear and headed for the elevator. Gibbs turned to Ginny and McGee.

"Go downstairs with Abby and see if there's any way you can find an exact time of death." They nodded and promptly made their way downstairs. Half an hour later, Ginny sat with her head in her hands while Abby and McGee traded technical terminology. She had begun to notice that Abby had been throwing glares at her every so often. From the time she had spent in the lab, Ginny had concluded Abby was McGee's best friend. It was only a question of how much of their past McGee had told Abby as to the reason for her dirty looks. Suddenly, Ginny sat upright.

"What is it?" The two turned to look at her.

"I know how to find the time of death. The blood was also on the wallpaper. Abby, how long does blood take to dry?"

"About 14 hours, if I remember right. Why?"

"We can peg the murder to a range of 14 hours if we know when petty officer Cardell got the wallpaper. Can you pull up his credit card records?" McGee quickly turned to the computer and began typing away.

"There it is—Cardell bought the wallpaper 17 days ago. Good job, Ginny." McGee smiled and Ginny thanked him. She noticed from the corner of her eye that Abby looked murderous.

"Well, now that you've solved the mystery of the TOD, don't you have something to be doing upstairs?" Abby smiled widely but the insincerity shone through. McGee frowned but acquiesced and Ginny followed him into the elevator. On the way up he couldn't help but wonder why Abby was miffed at him too.

**And now…review! Does anyone have any theories? If so, I would love to hear them. Also, if you need a reason to review see the bottom of the last chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I love everyone who read my story so much, thank you! Special thanks to all my reviewers and subscribers! I could have sworn I put the pen name of the person who added me to favorites but it didn't show up. Anyway, extraordinary thanks to ****, rya13, and Jaylee6789**** for adding my story to favorites! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS (however Christmas is approaching and I am not on Santa's Naughty List…)**

Ziva and Tony entered the apartment, searching quietly for a moment before Tony spoke.

"What do you think happened with Ginny and McGoo?"

"I do not know." Ziva spoke slowly, intent on the search. "She was an undercover operative. Perhaps they had a previous encounter?"

"Not a pleasant one by the looks of McGeek's face."

"What did you expect? She was an undercover operative."

"Sooooo…what do you think happened?"

"He was probably an asset."

"An _asset?_" Tony sounded confused.

"Yes. He held information important for the mission. Assets don't do well when the mission ends."

"What is that supposed to mean? They don't get—." Tony looked aghast.

"No, the fact that McGee is alive would contradict that!" Ziva turned to stare at her partner.

"What? I don't know these things!" Ziva rolled her eyes before they returned to the search. "So what do you mean 'assets don't do well'?"

"An operative must become close to an asset to coax the necessary information out of them. The operative usually disappears once the mission is completed and the asset is left…" Ziva searched for the right word. "Abandoned."

"How close do the operatives become?" Tony's crooked grin had appeared.

"Tony, Ginny and McGee's past is their concern, not ours. Aha!" Ziva plucked a paper from under the bed. "Look at this Tony." Tony came up behind her and reached around her to turn the paper towards him.

"A list of bank accounts, the money in them, and the tellers at the bank, complete with the hours of their shifts. Good find, David." She swiveled her head slightly to face him.

"I know." Ziva whispered, a small smile adorning her lips. The two completed their search and made their way back to the navy yard.

McGee and Ginny had entered the bullpen to find Gibbs waiting for them.

"Did you find anything?"

"Ginny found that the time of death was within 14 hours of the 11th." McGee replied.

"Good. I need you to look at the records of the other petty officers and see if there's any reason for them to want to join a heist."

"I'll take bank records." Ginny offered as Gibbs left. McGee nodded and the two set to work. Silence hung heavily in the room for several moments.

"Ginny?" McGee eventually spoke.

"Yes?" She replied tentatively.

"When the case is over, I need to talk to you." He stammered nervously.

"Okay." The quiet conversation ended and they returned to their searches. Such is the scene Tony and Ziva arrived at. As usual, Gibbs walked in right at that moment.

"Boss," Tony jumped up, holding the fruits of their search. "We found a list of bank accounts, the money in them, and the tellers at the bank with their shifts." Gibbs took it from his grasp and looked over it before replying.

"Good work, DiNozzo and David." McGee took this to be his cue.

"Boss, Ginny and I looked at the petty officers bank records and backgrounds. One petty officer, Corey Marshall, has a history of petty theft and was suspected in holding up a convenience store where the owner was shot. The case was dismissed on suspicion that the evidence had been tampered with. Marshall was also lacking in money."

"Bring him in." Gibbs tossed the car keys to Tony.

"Come on, Ginny." Tony called her to follow him. "You need to get the whole NCIS experience." After they had left, Gibbs entered the elevator to go see if Abby had anything. _Ginny seems to be holding her own_, he thought, _after all, she discovered the blood and the TOD. She's working well with the other members of the team. I still need to talk to Tim about what happened at the beginning though._ The elevator doors opened and he walked into Abby's lab.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" she turned towards him as the computer beeped. "Wow, your Gibbs-radar is really tuned in today. I just got a hit off one of the finger prints I found on the wallpaper. One was from Petty officer Cardell and this one is from Petty officer Corey Marshall. I'm running the third through AFIS now. It's a partial so it may take a while." Abby picked up the Caf-Pow! Gibbs had set on the table.

"How long?" He asked.

"10 hours."

"Make it go faster." Gibbs began to leave.

"But Gibbs!" Abby whined but he was already out the door. She was about to turn back to her computers when he reappeared. "Gibbs?" She wondered if it was a mirage; he had never back-tracked before.

"What do you think about Ginny?" He asked. Abby's eyes narrowed.

"I don't think she would work well with the team."

"Why not? She seems to so far."

"Timmy and she have a bad past. She shouldn't be here." Gibbs sighed. This seemed to be the deciding issue.

"I'll talk to McGee about it." With that he left the lab and Abby returned to her work.

**And now…review! Out of curiosity, how many of you would like to see an actual story for what happened with Ginny and McGee? **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I love everyone who read my story so much, thank you! Special thanks to all my reviewers and subscribers! It still won't put up the name of the first person who added me to favorites, so I'm going to try again. Extraordinary thanks to ****jarek przygodzki, rya13, Junee, CrazyR and Jaylee6789**** for adding my story to favorites! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS and Christmas has come and gone without this particular gift.**

"Got it boss." Tony flipped his phone shut.

"What was that about?" Ginny asked and Tony filled her in on the fingerprint. The ride was temporarily silent, as Tony debated following Ziva's advice of staying out of it or giving into his natural instinct and meddle.

"So, what happened between you and McGee?" Silence filled the car again. "If you don't want to answer…"

"No, it's alright. McGee and I…" She sighed. There was really no point in not telling him—he was going to find out anyway at some point. These things always got out in the open. "I had an operation and it was required that I use him to achieve success. I became emotionally attached and was pulled off the mission early. Usually, when an operation is successful a reason is created for the operative to leave without causing any suspicion. Since I was pulled off early, I simply disappeared." She finished quietly and turned to face Tony. "It's been many years since then."

"Did you really like him?" Tony asked tentatively.

"Yes." Tony wasn't sure what to say. There was no comment he could make that would be of any use and he certainly didn't want to ask if she still like him; that would be too much information about McGee's life. He decided to make a flippant remark and relieve the tension.

"So do I get to call him McLover Boy?" Tony and Ginny exchanged smiles and she let out a small laugh.

"I don't think he'd take it very well." Hoping to keep up conversation and ward off awkward silences, Tony continued to talk.

"Why did you decide to join NCIS?"

"I used to dislike police quite a lot. Then I had an encounter with a sailor and he changed my mind. Since he was in the navy, NCIS seemed like the right choice." Tony and Ginny had arrived at their destination now and got out of the car. They had stopped at a small beige house with a dying lawn and weeds overrunning everything. "He doesn't seem like one for cleanliness." Ginny remarked. Walking up to the front door, Tony knocked on the peeling faded-blue door. A few minutes later a large man with light brown hair and an angular face answered the door.

"What is it?" He asked, annoyed. Tony flipped out his badge.

"NCIS, special agents DiNozzo and Cummins." Tony pointed to each of them in turn. A wave of satisfaction hit Ginny when she heard her name by 'special agent'. "We'd like to ask you a couple questions. You're going to need to come with us."

"Why?" Corey asked, belligerence lacing his voice.

"Because, your pal Petty Officer Robert Cardell was blown up." Tony began to walk back to the car without waiting for a response. Ginny followed and Marshall was right behind them.

Two hours later, Tony, McGee, Ziva, and Ginny stood behind the interrogation glass, watching Corey sweat it out. Ginny began to notice Tony shooting her odd looks when he thought she wasn't looking.

"What?" She asked.

"You're the first probie that hasn't asked when Gibbs is going to interrogate him." Tony looked at her quizzically.

"There are many interrogation techniques. Letting the suspect think he has time to get his story together but not letting him know how much time is one of them. The suspect will become paranoid that an officer will walk in at any moment and catch him unprepared. The longer this goes on, the more it puts the suspect on edge." The team was surprised she already understood Gibbs' method and turned back to the room. Gibbs quietly slipped into the interrogation room and sat across the table from Marshall.

"Look, I didn't do anything!" Marshall said.

"Then can you explain how we found your prints at the crime scene?" Gibbs asked, his voice low and dangerous. He set the file on the table and pulled out a few pictures. Carefully placing them in front of the suspect, they depicted the destroyed apartment, the blood-spattered wall, and Cardell's desecrated skeleton lying in autopsy. Setting the list on the table as well, Gibbs waited to see Marshall's reaction. The petty officer stared at them in silence for several minutes.

"Bat got his tongue?" Ziva remarked.

"Cat, Ziva. It's a cat." McGee corrected her.

"Why would a cat take someone's tongue?"

"Why would a bat either?" The conversation halted as Marshall looked up at Gibbs.

"I didn't do it."

"You've already said that." Gibbs hissed at the suspect. "Look. This is Cardell's apartment after it exploded. This is Cardell's scorched body in autopsy. This is Linkon's blood all over the wall."

"Whoa, Charlie's dead?" Marshall asked, a look of shock spread across his face.

"He's been missing for three weeks." Gibbs stated. There was a pause as the two men contemplated what they had just been told. The door to interrogation opened and Ducky appeared.

"Jethro, a moment of your time." He motioned for Gibbs to come speak to him.

"This can't be good." Tony furrowed his brow as Gibbs left the room.

"Why not?" Ginny inquired.

"Rule 22." Before Ginny could ask what Rule 22 was, Ziva clarified.

"Never disturb Gibbs in interrogation." The conversation was cut short again when Gibbs re-entered interrogation.

"What do you know about Petty Officer Charles Linkon?" He asked.

"Well, I knew he'd been missing, but he can't be _dead_."

"Why not?" Gibbs asked.

"I saw him this morning." Marshall replied. It was obvious the man was becoming increasingly nervous. "He told me he was hiding out because his ex-girlfriend was after him."

"What else did he say?" Gibbs was just short of yelling.

"He asked me to go by his apartment and get a list. He said it would have a black star in the corner. Like that." Marshall pointed to the list that Tony and Ziva had retrieved.

"Where's he staying?" Gibbs asked.

"7034 Persimmon Avenue." Marshall stammered. Gibbs jumped up and left autopsy. The team filed out of the observation room to find Abby, Ducky, and Gibbs waiting for them.

"What happened?" Tony asked immediately.

"I found that the concentration of iron in the blood was different for three samples. The concentration of iron fluctuates daily so the blood was taken at different times." Abby asserted at lightning speed.

"Linkon was a blood donor! He must have taken some himself and stored it in hermetically sealed bottles. He faked his own death!" Ginny exclaimed, remembering her background check. Abby glared at her, annoyed at the interruption.

"Yes, that would be it." Abby spat.

"You can take only one pint of blood at a time for donations and, judging by the photos, I estimate there were three pints on that wall. Abby's samples are more evidence." Ducky continued.

"We've got to get over there. Come on." Gibbs motioned for his team to follow him as they swiftly made their way to the van.

**And now…review! I need reviews to **_**survive**_**. Help keep me alive and review! It took quite a while to get reviews last time. Thank you to the people who actually reviewed, you made me incredibly happy! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you guys so much, please continue to read my story! Special thanks to ****jarek przygodzki, rya13, Junee, CrazyR, Purple Feather 1, and Jaylee6789**** for adding my story to favorites!**

The team sped along to Linkon's hideout. They stopped at a decrepit shack and got out. Pulling their sigs out of their holsters, the team ran up to the house.

"McGee, Ginny, go around back." Gibbs whispered. The pair quickly trotted to the back and waited for Gibbs signal. "NCIS!" He called and two seconds later, they busted in the doors.

"Got him, Boss!" McGee called. Linkon looked like a deer in the headlights, standing in the kitchen with his hands above his head. The others rushed in and holstered their sigs. Gibbs approached him with handcuffs.

"You're under arrest for—." Before he could finish, Linkon tried to bolt. Elbowing Tony aside, he ran towards Ginny. She quickly brought her knee up and grabbed his shoulders, twisting him around as he fell. Linkon ended up kneeling before Gibbs, who quickly cuffed him. The rest of the team stared at Ginny.

"Where did you learn that?" McGee asked.

"Well, usually it ends with snapping their neck. However, I don't think I'll be doing much of that anymore." After having Ziva on the team for several years, they quickly brushed it off and returned to the task at hand.

A few minutes later the team was once again waiting for Gibbs entrance in observation. The team was silent, ready for the case to be closed. McGee began to get nervous, knowing his talk with Ginny was looming in the near future. Gibbs burst into interrogation and slapped a photo and the list on the table. Linkon jumped in his seat.

"He's got termites in his pants." Ziva remarked.

"Ants." Tony corrected, exasperated.

The photo depicted the charred body of Cardell in his blackened apartment. Gibbs sat staring at Linkon whose eyes were flickering furiously from the two papers in front of him. Sweat began to break out on his forehead.

"What happened?" Gibbs asked simply.

"Alright I killed him! We were going to rob a bank and we wanted to fake our deaths so even if they caught our faces we would be dead but I wanted all the money so I killed him! I was waiting for the heat to pass then I was going to rob the bank." Gibbs cuffed him and led him away.

"That was easy." Tony commented as they exited observation. McGee caught Ginny's arm as she left.

"We need to talk." He whispered. Ginny nodded and the two walked down the corridor to an empty room. McGee shut the door and took a deep breath. "What exactly happened?" He asked hesitantly. Ginny took her eyes off the floor and looked directly at him, a touch of regret tainting her features.

"The technology you were working on. A Russian team was attempting to get it. We couldn't let that happen, so we took it first. I was told to go on dates with you but it was supposed to be just a fling—it was never supposed to get as serious as we did. I really fell for you." Her voice cracked and she bit her lip. "I was pulled off because my emotion endangered the mission. My partner finished it and then the agency was pulled back completely. I couldn't go back."

"Why not?" McGee asked. The hurt was evident in his voice.

"When a spy leaves the agency they come away with nothing. All their money is withheld, years of their life are missing and they have no job history. There's nowhere to start. You effectively are reborn—you come from not existing for many years to coming back into the world. Someone would have noticed that I didn't exist for almost a decade. Also, how could I tell you I had been lying? How could I tell you I was manipulating you in the beginning? I couldn't even tell you the whole truth about my life because of the nature of my assignments. You're an investigator McGee—would that have been enough for you?" Ginny told of the unsolvable enigma she had been faced with.

"No, it wouldn't." McGee admitted.

"You would have been disgusted with the things I have done. You wouldn't have wanted me, even if I could tell you about myself." Ginny finished her explanation morosely.

"Ginny, I wouldn't care what you had done. I really did like you—for who you are, not what you've done." McGee whispered. Ginny gave a half-smile but shook her head. There was a pause as the two felt the pain of their reopened wounds. "What agency did you work for?" He asked tentatively.

"It was an independent agency—not linked to any country. We helped the US though. The director deemed it the most worthy country of protection." Ginny replied.

"Where do we go from here?" Ginny breathed in slowly.

"Well, I guess we'll have to see." She said simply. McGee nodded.

"I guess we'll have to see." He gave her a small smile and turned to leave. Ginny caught up with him.

"You've lost quite a lot of weight since I last saw you." McGee grinned at her.

"What do you think?"

"It looks great. Do you still write?" McGee nodded.

"Tony and Ziva will probably tell you this anyway, so you might as well hear it from me. I wrote a book." Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"A book?"

"Yeah, it's called _Deep Six: The Continuing Adventures of L.J. Tibbs_." Ginny laughed a little.

"Wow, that's a best seller. I assume I'll be getting a character?" McGee whipped his head to face her.

"What?"

"Oh come on, don't deny that all your characters are based on the team. You're not very creative when it comes to names." Ginny smiled warmly at him. "By the way, I thought you should see this." Ginny pulled a small, crumpled paper out of her pocket and handed it to McGee. Unfolding it, McGee's mouth hung agape.

"You kept my poem?" He asked quietly, stunned.

"Yeah. I liked it a lot. It reminded of the good things in life, the happy memories that I have. Thank you for that."

"Here," McGee thrust the poem back into Ginny's hand. "Keep it. I wrote it for you." Ginny smiled as she put it back in her pocket. "What about you. Do you still sing?"

"Whenever I can."

"If there was a song for—." McGee began.

"The Dog Days are Over by Florence + the Machine." Ginny answered automatically.

"That was fast."

"I've always known." They stepped in the elevator, both grinning ridiculously.

**Now you should review and listen to The Dog Days are Over.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you guys so much, please continue to read my story! Special thanks to ****jarek przygodzki, rya13, Junee, CrazyR, Purple Feather 1, Magnus, and Jaylee6789**** for adding my story to favorites!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, but a hug from McGee will suffice.**

McGee and Ginny walked towards the bullpen, McGee slightly behind her. Before he could enter Abby grabbed his arm and dragged him away. Knowing better than to talk, McGee backtracked to the elevator. He followed her into the lab where Abby spun on her heel and crossed her arms.

"Have you talked to her yet?" Abby asked. McGee sighed. He was ready for this to end, or at least be able to forget for a while.

"Yes, Abby, I have."

"And?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

"We worked it out."

"You worked it out?" Abby cried indignantly.

"What was I supposed to do?" McGee responded.

"Show her the injustice of what she did, shout a bit, pound your fist on a something!" For emphasis Abby banged her hand on the evidence table.

"Abby, I couldn't do that."

"Why not?" Abby pouted.

"She had no choice. She couldn't help it." McGee explained.

"I'll decide that when I interrogate her." Abby walked quickly towards the elevator.

"Do what?" McGee called in disbelief.

"Interrogate her. I'm going to find the truth. She's a trained operative and could've easily fooled you."

"She could not have!" McGee protested. Quickly he followed her into the elevator, just catching the door. Abby marched into the bullpen and stopped in front of Ginny's desk. Ginny looked up at Abby, who was looming over her.

"We need to talk: Follow." Ginny stood and walked behind her to the elevator. The team waited until the doors closed then McGee, Tony, and Ziva raced to follow her.

Abby led Ginny into interrogation and shut the door.

"Sit." Abby commanded. Ginny rolled her eyes and sunk into her chair. "I cannot believe what you did to McGee." Abby pointed at her accusingly. "You manipulated him!"

"I wish I hadn't in the beginning. After only a week, it wasn't about that anymore. I wish I could have stayed." Ginny replied simply.

"Of course you wish you hadn't. Of course you wish you could have stayed." Abby mocked her.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"What an act you've put on, full of false wishes and faked regret. You were happy to leave him and now you're just trying to keep up the charade you had the first time. What do you want now?" Abby sneered.

"I don't want anything. There was no charade, I really did love him." Ginny forced the words out; displaying emotion wasn't one of her stronger points.

"But for all your love you couldn't just leave your agency?" Abby challenged her.

"No."

"No? That's all you have to say for yourself? If you left now, why couldn't you leave then?" Abby's rage increased.

"How can you go up to someone after a few months of dating and say 'I used to be a spy and I was using you but I'm done with that now. I've done some really awful things I can't tell you about and I'm totally broke so I'm going to need you to spot me until I can find a job and actually straighten out the whole identity thing with the police. Have I mentioned people with guns will probably show up and ask where I am?'" Ginny responded sarcastically.

"Why would people with guns be after you?" Abby asked, her fury transforming to perplexity.

"My agency wasn't going to let me go that easy in the middle of an operation. You can't just quit." Ginny replied. Abby stared, her anger diminished.

Gibbs walked into interrogation for the third time that day and slapped Ginny on the back of the head.

"That's for hurting one of my agents. Now, I need the two of you to stop fighting. McGee," He turned to look at the observation window. "I need to talk to you." Tony and Ziva watched as McGee left the room to meet Gibbs in the hall. The two women in interrogation stared at each other. Both had cooled down but were still irked with the other.

"I know I hurt McGee. It is one of my greatest regrets but there's nothing I can do about it anymore." Ginny spoke quietly.

"I know you know and I know you do." Abby muttered. Ginny sighed.

"I'm sor—."

"Don't apologize." Abby interrupted. "Rule 6." The two exchanged small smiles and exited the room. Tony and Ziva quickly followed from Observation. Gibbs and McGee abruptly stopped whispering. Gibbs approached Ginny.

"You're on the team. I'll see you tomorrow." Gibbs walked off down the hallway. Tony, Ziva, and McGee congratulated Ginny and Abby managed a small grin.

"Now that you're on the team, there are a few things you need to know." Tony led her to the elevator and the rest of the team fell into place behind them. "First things first: what Gibbs did just then is a Gibbs-slap. It will happen often. Second thing: There are about fifty rules. Rule one: never let suspects stay together and never screw over your partner. There are two for the first three. Some are Mike Franks' rules. Mike Franks is Gibbs' old partner. He lives in Mexico now. Anyway, rule two…"

**What did you think of Abby and Ginny's fight?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you guys so much, please continue to read my story! Special thanks to ****jarek przygodzki, rya13, Junee, CrazyR, Purple Feather 1, Magnus, TwiliteFan and Jaylee6789**** for adding my story to favorites! Also, I like to describe clothes in detail. I hope this won't annoy anyone.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, but a hug from McGee will suffice.**

Ginny stepped out of the elevator with her hair pulled back by a gold headband, carrying a box of personal effects. She wore a turquoise cashmere sweater and khaki colored pants with tan heels. She had decided to make a coffee run for her new team and consequently had arrived at 0730. The rest of the team had already arrived and were filling out case reports at their desks. Thinking she would have to wake earlier, she passed out the coffee to which they murmured thanks. She began to walk towards the cubicle in the back when she noticed a desk was wedged between McGee and Tony's. It was completely clear, save for a computer and lamp.

Ginny set the box on the desk and began unloading its contents. She pulled out three picture frames. One was an older photo of a bride and groom. Both were smiling blissfully. The bride had red hair, the same shade as Ginny's, pulled into a bun tucked behind her veil and brown eyes. The groom was a brunette with azure eyes. The next frame was of another red-head. It was a school photo, recent, and the girl in it looked to be about 15. Ginny placed a photo of several grinning people who looked to be in about their early twenties next to that. Pulling out the last item in the box, a fairly small leather case with a gilded lock, she opened a desk drawer to put it in. Inside were a badge, sig, holster, NCIS ID, and handcuffs.

Smiling, Ginny holstered her sig, clipped the badge onto her belt, and put the ID in her wallet. She put the case away and shut the drawer.

"Hey, Ginny, I have a couple more things to show you." Tony turned to her. The senior field agent had taken it upon himself to train Probette number two. Ginny stood and followed Tony to the elevator.

"I guess he's showing her the conference room." Ziva stated, looking up.

"She's already seen it." McGee mumbled to himself.

Tony and Ginny were only descending for a few seconds before Tony flipped the emergency stop button.

"Does this happen often around here?" Ginny asked laughingly, turning to face Tony.

"I'm guessing McGoo showed this to you already?" She nodded in reply. "This is the conference room. Gibbs uses it more than anyone else."

"It makes sense."

"I also wanted to tell you that I think you need to try and be nice to Abby. She's Gibbs's favorite."

"So this is about sucking up?" Ginny queried indignantly.

"No—although with Gibbs, it's probably a good idea. He tends to dislike the inexperienced. What I meant was, Abby was just trying to defend McGee. She really cares for him. I know where you're coming from. I know that it's an impossible situation." Tony explained. Ginny eyed him quizzically.

"What do you mean, 'you know'?" Tony related the story of Jeanne and how his undercover mission had gone so deeply wrong. When he told how Jeanne had wished she had never met him, he choked slightly. They stood in stunned silence for a moment after he had finished. "Wow, Tony. I can't believe she tried to frame you for murder." Tony sighed.

"She had every right to be angry. I guess she just took it too far."

"Definitely too far." Suddenly a realization hit Ginny. "Did I do that to McGee? Did I hurt him so much he would have me take the fall for a murder?"

"No, Tim would never lose his head. Besides, he doesn't seem to detest having you around."

"I don't know why Jeanne wished she had never met you. That was a big mistake on her part." They exchanged smiles. "I'll talk to Abby."

"Good." Tony flicked the emergency stop switch again and the elevator descended to the lab. A few seconds later Ginny entered Abby's lair. An exhausted Abby was swiveling in her chair as the heavy metal played at a slightly lower volume. Abby raised her eyebrows at Ginny, waiting for her to talk.

"No Caf-Pow?" Ginny noticed the lack of plastic cups strewn across the tables.

"No, I usually try to stay away from all the caffeine after cases. Too much isn't good for you." There was a slight pause as Ginny wondered what exactly she would say.

"I just came down to tell you I understand why you're angry with me. You should be. What I did was awful. McGee's your best friend, isn't he?" Abby nodded.

"Timmy's been my closest friend since…." Abby bit her tongue and willed herself not to cry.

"Since what?" Ginny inquired, slightly flummoxed. Taking a deep breath, Abby put her emotions in check.

"My best friend used to work here. Agent Caitlyn Todd—she was on Gibbs's team. She…" Abby took another deep breath as the tears threatened to overflow. Ginny's face transformed to a look of sorrow as she began to understand. "Ziva's half-brother, Ari…he went rogue from Mossad—Ziva used to work there—and he shot Kate in the head. He shot at me too. Tony saved my life. I wish someone could have saved Kate." Lachrymose, Abby explained what had happened when Kate died. Ginny crossed to her and sat on the desk.

"Abby…I'm so sorry. I know what it feels like to lose a friend."

"You do?" Abby choked out. Ginny nodded sorrowfully.

"I've seen a lot of coworkers die. One of them, Clara Rivers, was a mentor to me. She was the best agent in my division. She would always give me advice and help me out when I needed it. A mission went wrong and she was captured. The captors tortured her for information; they never got any. Eventually, she died from being hit in the head with a piece of metal pipe. They sent us a video. I watched the whole thing." A solemn silence settled in the air. The women exchanged looks and knew they understood the other's pain. "There was something Clara said to me that I remember vividly. She said 'Do you know why spies have no family? It's so there's no one to remember them when they're gone'. She lived and died by those words. It was part of the reason I joined NCIS. I want someone to remember me when I'm gone."

Ginny remembered that day with perfect clarity. She had gone to get coffee and Clara was there as well. Clara was a slender woman with alabaster skin and milk chocolate hair that fell to a little past her shoulders. She had beautiful hazel eyes and long, dark eyelashes. It was late in the night and Ginny was feeling lonely, as most agents were. Night was always the time they remembered no one would be waiting for them to come home. That there would be no calls on their answering machine or matters to attend to because everyone they were close to was working alongside them. Clara had crossed to her and reminded her of their predicament. She had reminded Ginny of why operatives were the way they were. It was so they might succeed, so they could go farther than anyone to protect their country.

Hearing those words, Abby couldn't help but think of Jenny. Jenny whose parents were dead, who never married, who never had children.

"That's like Jenny Shepard. She was the director before Vance." Abby poured out the story of Jenny's death. There was a grieving pause following Abby's story.

"I guess we'd both see thestrals pretty easily." Ginny remarked. Abby laughed quietly at Ginny's reference to the _Harry _Potter creation—horses that one could only see if one had seen death. The ambiance lightened slightly and small smiles crept onto the two's faces. Soon Abby slipped back into deep thought.

"Ziva killed Ari to save Gibbs." She whispered.

"Is that why she left Mossad?" Ginny queried.

"No, she left because her father sent her on a suicide mission. She was held captive in Somalia for four months."

"How did she escape?"

"She didn't. Timmy and Tony were captured by the terrorists on purpose. They thought she was dead so they were going to avenge her. She wasn't dead though and Gibbs shot Saleem, the terrorist, in the head. He was a marine sniper." Ginny felt a strong sense of admiration for the team. She knew she had chosen the right place to come—if she were to be taken for whatever reason, there would be someone to come after her.

"That's incredible." She muttered.

"It is. You're lucky to be on this team. It's the best there is." Ginny nodded assent. The little she had learned of the team amazed her. Their dedication was unmatched in all her experience. Standing, she crossed to the door. Halting in the threshold, Ginny turned back.

"It was nice talking to you Abby. Thank you."

"It was nice talking to you too." Ginny entered the elevator and ascended to the bull pen.

**What did you think of Abby and Ginny's exchange, particularly Clara's story? Also, I am in the process of writing my next story (concerning Ginny). It's a kind of prequel, detailing what happened between Ginny and McGee. I think it's going to be called Magician's Cocktail. What do you think?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading my story! Special thanks to ****jarek przygodzki, rya13, Junee, CrazyR, Purple Feather 1, Magnus, TwiliteFan, thelauers918, and Jaylee6789**** for adding my story to favorites! This is just the short ending to Spontaneous Combustion. Enjoy :)! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, but a hug from McGee will suffice.**

After a full day of filling out case reports and glancing over cold cases, the team wearily filed everything away and headed to the elevator. They took two more stops, adding Abby and Jimmy to their party.

"Where are Gibbs and Ducky? Aren't they going home?" Ginny asked.

"Dr. Mallard always leaves later." Jimmy answered. "He likes to put everything away himself."

"Gibbs will leave later. It takes him a bit longer to put everything up—not using a computer and all. Afterwards, when he gets home, he'll work on his boat and drink bourbon." Tony explained. Ginny nodded, deciding not to question it further. They reached the ground floor and walked to their cars. "Ziva and I are going to the Oyster Lounge. Want to come?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you there." Abby responded excitedly. "Jimmy, you coming?"

Jimmy appeared stunned for a moment before his face split into a grin.

"Sounds great. What about Ginny and McGee?" McGee leaned over and whispered to Ginny.

"We're going to sit this one out. Maybe another time." She replied smiling. The rest of the team waved goodbye and drove off. Ginny and Tim loitered until they are gone then headed towards their cars. Tim took Ginny's hand in his own and interlaced their fingers. "You know, I should probably take my motorcycle home before our date." McGee looked temporarily shocked as he notices the silver bike parked a few yards away.

"You drive a motorcycle?" He inquired.

"Yes. It's a lot more convenient and easier to avoid traffic."

"Didn't you get coffee earlier today?"

"I've had it for a while—I'm quite good at driving it now. I also have a car though."

"When do you drive that?"

"Days I have to pick up groceries." Tim laughed lightly. "What?"

"I didn't see you as the kind of girl to ride a motorcycle."

"Oh, I can be very surprising." Reaching the motorcycle, Ginny zipped up the tan leather jacket that had been stowed under the seat. "So where are we going?"

"I'll pick you up at your place. Where is it?" Ginny gave him the address and he sat down in his Porsche.

"A Porsche?" Ginny asked in awe.

"Yeah, the royalties from my book helped with that. The government's a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to paychecks." They both chuckled. Ginny hopped on her motorcycle and started the engine. A soft rumble emanated from it. "Speaking of my book, I've been giving some thought to your character's name. How does Georgia Carmel sound?"

"I'll have to think about it." Ginny replied, swiping the kickstand off the ground with a touch of her heel.

"You're riding that in heels? With no helmet?" Tim asked concernedly as he started his Porsche.

"Like I said, I'm quite good at driving it." Smirking, Ginny zoomed through the parking lot and disappeared into night's cape of shadows, leaving the flash of her tail lights behind her.

**That's the end! Do you think I ended it well? Also, I know nothing about motorcycles. Finally here is the link to Magician's Cocktail: **.net/s/6758347/1/Magicians_Cocktail. ** Don't forget to review!**


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